BuycPanel Blog

What is the Backup Retention Behavior?

Posted by Allura on 04 01 2019.

The backup retention behavior can be edited in the Backup Configuration interface of WHM [WHM >> Home >> Backup >>Backup Configuration].

How does the Backup Retention work?

The default backup retention behavior and the strictly enforced retention are the two types of retention modes contained in a system. It is the functionality of the behaviors to make sure that the system saves up the amount of unbeaten backups that a user sets in WHM’s Backup Configuration interface. Meanwhile, the default retention behavior will be retaining the given number of successful backups along with the failed ones until the following successful backup has been completed. This suggests that the system is capable of retaining a larger number of backups than the amount a user had already set in the Backup Configuration Interface.

For instance, when the strictly enforced retention behavior meets with failed backups, it keeps a minimum of one successful backup and deletes all the backups which exceed the retention limit already been set by the user in the WHM’s Backup Configuration Interface. Whether you wish for the system to notify you regarding the success or failure of a backup, you can customize the settings.

How does the Default Backup Retention Behavior Function?

When a backup has been completed by the cPanel and the WHM, the system automatically deletes the older backups. However, the system keeps the older backups and will retain the failed backups as well, in case there happens to be a failure in the system generated backup. This behavior of the cPanel suggests that the system will keep a minimum of one successfully completed backup. Once there is successful completion of the next backup, the system deletes the older backups in order to come back to the desired number of backups.

cPanel and WHM will automatically delete the oldest backup on the successful completion of a new backup by virtue of the strictly enforced retention. Meanwhile, on the failure of the system generated backup, the system again automatically deletes the older backups and keeps the failed one. In other news, it will not continue retaining the older backups save for the last successful backup.

This is how the entire paradigm of backup retention behavior functions and operates in a cPanel and WHM.